Other People's Garbage

Saturday I spent some time out in the yard getting things back into shape.  The wind blows predominantly from the west, we are at the end of the street, and we have a split rail fence on our western property line.  This means that paper, wrappers, cardboard, and just about anything else from the entire block blows into my yard!  And since we have a chain link fence on the eastern end of our property this litter will stay in my yard until I go pick it up.  No chance that it's going to blow into anyone elses yard.  The annoying thing about this is that none of the garbage is mine - not one, single piece!  As I was picking it up the thought crossed my mind, 'I am tired of picking up other people's garbage!'

The fact is that many times in life we have to contend with other people's 'garbage'.  Their carelessness, their irresponsibility, their thoughtlessness, their overspending, their anger, end up impacting us - and we have to deal with it.  We have to clean it up.  Sometimes this can be annoying, especially when it keeps happening over and over again.

But then I think of Jesus.  He came to this earth to clean up a mess that He didn't create.  When He died on the cross for sins, none of them was His, not a single one!  He simply cleaned up the mess because somebody had to do it - and He was that somebody.  The best part of it is that He did it without complaint or being annoyed.  He did it simply because He loved us.  So, shouldn't I be willing and glad to do the same for others?  Isn't that the loving thing to do?  Of course it is

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Excuse me.  I think I see another piece of garbage in my yard.  I am going to go pick it up and be glad that I can help!